- 4 months ago
Before they became household names, the cast of "Friends" were six struggling actors on the brink of making TV history. Join us as we dive into the incredible casting journey of Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, and Jennifer Aniston.
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00:00There are so many different scenarios where it wasn't going to be these six people.
00:03It would have been such a different show.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:07And today, we're rewinding to the moment before Friends was the TV obsession of a generation.
00:13Back when Central Perk would be considered a typo, Pivot was just a direction,
00:17Unagi was just something you ordered at a sushi bar,
00:20and six actors had no idea they were about to make TV history.
00:24We're talking about the real-life casting stories that launched one of the most iconic sitcoms ever.
00:30Hey, no one told them life was going to be this way.
00:32No one told you life was going to be this way.
00:37Just before the Friends pilot aired,
00:40director James Burroughs flew the six actors to Vegas for one last taste of anonymity.
00:44You see, they'd already shot the first episode,
00:47and the audience ate it up in such a big way that Burroughs had no doubt the series was about to blow up.
00:52I just want to be married again.
00:54And I just want a million dollars.
01:01So he chartered a plane, handed out some casino money, took them to dinner,
01:05and reportedly told them, quote,
01:07I want you to be aware that this is the last time that you all can be out and not be swarmed,
01:12because that's what's going to happen.
01:13We would do anything for Jim Burroughs,
01:16because he really gave us the opportunity of a lifetime
01:20and probably the best 10 years of our acting careers.
01:24As the story goes, NBC exec Warren Littlefield felt there was a major gap in TV
01:29for young professionals figuring life out.
01:31For advertisers, that was an untapped goldmine.
01:35Luckily for creators David Crane and Marta Kaufman,
01:38those awkward roommate stories, first jobs, and messy love lives were still fresh.
01:43Well, let's see, the FICA guys took all my money.
01:47Everyone I know is either getting married or getting pregnant or getting promoted,
01:50and I'm getting coffee, and it's not even for me.
01:54In fact, a share of what made it to air,
01:56like Joey's underpants vendetta or Ross's leather pants disaster,
02:00originated from the writing team's own lives.
02:03But before any of that,
02:04they had to cast six people who could make audiences feel like
02:08they'd just made six new best friends.
02:10It's like a fun gang.
02:15Matt LeBlanc
02:16Much like Joey, Matt LeBlanc was a struggling actor
02:19when he landed the role that changed everything.
02:22Steph, you gotta give me some work.
02:24I lost my health insurance.
02:26He barely had any professional credits,
02:28just $11 to his name,
02:30and was getting pretty desperate.
02:32He auditioned multiple times,
02:34and even did a chemistry read with Courtney Cox.
02:37Not to mention his memories of the network test sure sound interesting.
02:41This was between me and one other guy,
02:43and the other guy had like a cowboy hat on,
02:46a denim jacket, cowboy boots,
02:49and I was like,
02:50what if he has the same script as I have?
02:53According to the showrunners,
02:55they saw plenty of actors who made for believable Joey's,
02:58but no one made him funny the way LeBlanc did.
03:01Just when I thought I was out,
03:03they pulled me back in.
03:05Apparently, he beat out actors like Hank Azaria,
03:07Vince Vaughn,
03:08and Louis Mandalore,
03:09who actually still got to play the role at one point.
03:12Kinda.
03:13How are you doing?
03:17No, no, no, no, no.
03:20How you doing?
03:23What?
03:23How you doing?
03:24LeBlanc also shared that before his audition,
03:28a friend suggested they go calm his nerves with a drink or several.
03:32They did,
03:33and ended up injuring his face.
03:35He showed up with a giant scab,
03:37and they loved it.
03:38Classic Joey.
03:39And I'm looking in the mirror,
03:40and it's bleeding,
03:41and I was like,
03:41oh my God.
03:42So I have to go in for the big callback,
03:45and it's like a big,
03:46ugly scab on my nose.
03:47And Marta Kaufman said,
03:50what happened to your face?
03:51And I told the truth,
03:55and got the job.
03:56David Schwimmer.
03:57Schwimmer had a less conventional path to friends than the rest of the gang.
04:00Before the show,
04:01he'd auditioned for a pilot called Couples,
04:03also written by David Crane and Marta Kaufman.
04:06He didn't land that part,
04:07but he definitely left an impression.
04:09I auditioned,
04:10and I actually tested with two other actors.
04:12One of the actors,
04:13who's a close friend of mine,
04:14Johnny Silverman,
04:15got the part.
04:16Right.
04:17And then the pilot wasn't picked up,
04:18but they remembered my test,
04:21and they remembered my voice,
04:22I guess.
04:23When it came time to cast Ross,
04:25they actually wrote the role with his voice in mind.
04:28Marta and David made it clear to me,
04:30made it known to me,
04:30that they had written the role of Ross with my voice in mind.
04:35There was just one problem.
04:37Schwimmer had pretty much sworn off TV after a bad experience,
04:40and was focused on theater.
04:42Even though the role was his,
04:43no audition needed,
04:45he still needed a little more convincing.
04:47While he wavered,
04:48they saw Noah Wiley,
04:50Eric McCormack,
04:51and even Mitchell Whitfield,
04:52Dr. Barry Farber to the fans.
04:54Which incidentally,
04:55worked out pretty well for me.
04:57Apparently,
04:57it was Burroughs who ultimately urged Schwimmer
04:59not to throw away this shot.
05:01As we now know,
05:03the showrunners were spot on in their vision.
05:05Unlike a certain pair of leather pants,
05:07this was a perfect fit.
05:08Okay, seriously,
05:09what do you think?
05:10You look like a freak.
05:10Like Schwimmer,
05:14Perry was already on the showrunner's radar.
05:16They'd worked with him before on the sitcom Dream On.
05:19And no matter how many actors they saw,
05:22no one brought Chandler to life quite like Perry.
05:24And when Matthew reads that dialogue,
05:27it sparkles.
05:29And it comes alive.
05:31And for the first time through the casting process,
05:35we knew there was a character there,
05:36and that this was the only guy to play.
05:38Side note,
05:39he even helped out a few friends
05:40who were auditioning for the role.
05:42At the time,
05:43Perry was out of money and desperate for work.
05:46His business manager called to break the news.
05:48It was time to get a job.
05:49Fast.
05:50What a terrible business manager he was.
05:52He just called me one day and said,
05:53Matthew, you have no money.
05:55That's a call you want a month
05:57before you run out of money.
05:58Yeah, I got rent to pay.
06:00How about a little warning?
06:01So I called my agents.
06:02I said,
06:03you got to get me any job,
06:04any job you can.
06:05So he signed on to a sci-fi comedy pilot
06:07called LAX 2194
06:09about futuristic baggage handlers and aliens.
06:13Yes, really.
06:14Thankfully,
06:15the network knew it was going nowhere
06:16and let NBC know he'd be available.
06:19And then someone from Warner Brothers
06:20actually was at the taping of 2194
06:24and thought,
06:26this show is never going.
06:28Put him in friends.
06:30We'll be okay.
06:31If not,
06:31Chandler might have gone to John Cryer,
06:33Craig Bierko,
06:34or Jon Favreau.
06:35Anyway,
06:36once he became available,
06:37in just under a week,
06:39he went from the audition room
06:40to the set.
06:41Once again,
06:42the creative team showed
06:43that their first instincts
06:44couldn't be more spot on.
06:46Casting Perry turned out to be,
06:48what's the word we're looking for?
06:49Oh yes,
06:50perfection.
06:51Could have said gum would be nice.
06:52Could have said I'll have a stick.
06:54But no,
06:54no,
06:54no,
06:54no,
06:54no.
06:55For me,
06:56gum is perfection.
06:58Lisa Kudrow.
06:59You know how they say
07:00it's about who you know?
07:02Well,
07:02that was kind of the case
07:03with Lisa Kudrow's journey
07:04to becoming Phoebe Buffay.
07:06At the time,
07:07she was playing Ursula
07:08on Mad About You,
07:09where David Crane's partner,
07:10Jeffrey Cleric,
07:11was a writer and co-producer.
07:13To him,
07:13something about Ursula
07:14just felt like a gateway to Phoebe.
07:17Almost like they could have been
07:18twins or something.
07:19My husband,
07:20Jeffrey,
07:20was writing and producing
07:22on Mad About You.
07:23And he said,
07:25Phoebe's right here
07:26playing Ursula,
07:27the waitress.
07:28But auditioning was arguably
07:29more daunting for Kudrow
07:31than it was for the others.
07:32She'd been cast as Roz on Frasier,
07:34but didn't make it past the pilot.
07:36Now she was auditioning
07:37for the same guy
07:38who didn't think
07:39she was right back then.
07:40Then I had to go in
07:41and read for Jimmy Burroughs' directing.
07:43I was like,
07:43oh God,
07:44he hates me.
07:45I mean,
07:45that's,
07:45you know,
07:46I got fired from Frasier.
07:47He was directing
07:48and he's the one
07:49who was saying
07:50this isn't working.
07:50It's just not working.
07:51And apparently,
07:52she was the only one
07:53who had to audition
07:54for Burroughs too.
07:55So when he simply said,
07:56no notes,
07:57she wasn't sure
07:58if that was good or not.
07:59No notes either means,
08:00I mean,
08:00it's beyond.
08:01I can't,
08:02I don't even want to engage.
08:03Just forget it.
08:05Or,
08:05it's fine the way it is.
08:07No notes.
08:08But it certainly wasn't
08:09like that was great.
08:10While it could have been
08:11Ellen DeGeneres,
08:13Kathy Griffin,
08:14Jane Lynch,
08:14or Megan Mullally
08:15singing about sticky shoes,
08:17farm animals,
08:18and cats with hygiene problems,
08:20Burroughs knew
08:20that no one
08:21was as in tune with Phoebe
08:22in all her quirky glory
08:24as Lisa Kudrow.
08:25Smelly cats,
08:27smelly cat,
08:28what are they feeding you?
08:31Everybody,
08:31smelly cat,
08:33smelly cat.
08:34Courtney Cox.
08:35Out of all the friends,
08:37Courtney Cox
08:37was the most established
08:38actor going in,
08:39but not so famous
08:40that she overshadowed
08:41the rest of the cast.
08:43She'd done a few films,
08:44some TV movies,
08:46had a recurring role
08:46on Family Ties,
08:48and of course,
08:49most people knew her
08:50as the young woman
08:50from Bruce Springsteen's
08:51Dancing in the Dark
08:52music video.
08:53Originally,
08:58the showrunners
08:59wanted her to audition
09:00for Rachel.
09:01Okay,
09:02uh,
09:03Monica.
09:04Yes.
09:06Yes,
09:06she is.
09:07Hi.
09:08This is my friend Rachel.
09:10Hi.
09:10But Cox just knew
09:11she and Monica
09:12were kindred spirits.
09:14Turning that down
09:14was a gamble.
09:15They didn't exactly say,
09:17welcome aboard,
09:18Monica Geller,
09:18right away.
09:19The role could have gone
09:20to Janine Garofalo,
09:21who was reportedly
09:22their plan A,
09:23or even Leah Remini
09:24or Nancy McKeon.
09:26But once they saw Cox
09:27as Monica,
09:28Kaufman and Crane
09:29quickly realized
09:30she was right.
09:30We met with Courtney Cox
09:32and she explained to us
09:34why she didn't think
09:34she was a Rachel
09:35and that she herself
09:37was more of a Monica
09:39and she was right.
09:41Courtney brought
09:42this incredible joy
09:44to the character.
09:46As Crane put it,
09:47she brought, quote,
09:48a whole bunch of
09:49other colors to the part.
09:50And as Kaufman added,
09:51she had a maternal quality,
09:53which really is at the core
09:54of who Monica is.
09:56Needless to say,
09:57they made the right call.
09:58I know!
09:58Jennifer Aniston
10:01Apparently,
10:02Rachel was the toughest
10:03role to cast
10:04and the one
10:05that took the longest.
10:06In the wrong hands,
10:07she could have come off
10:08as totally unlikable.
10:09Kind of ditzy.
10:11Too into her looks.
10:14Spoiled.
10:15Now that's a little spoil.
10:16He was supposed to type
10:17little, the idiot.
10:18The casting team
10:19saw tons of actors
10:20who just didn't feel right
10:22until Jennifer Aniston
10:23walked in.
10:24She'd actually been
10:25considered for Monica
10:26at first,
10:27but there was
10:27a whole other problem.
10:28No!
10:31I know!
10:32Like Perry,
10:33she was already attached
10:34to another show
10:35called Muddling Through.
10:36But unlike Perry,
10:38they were already
10:38a few episodes in.
10:40Still,
10:40the Friends team
10:41didn't back down.
10:42They actually approached
10:43CBS to try and poach her
10:45and decided to roll
10:46the dice by hiring her anyway.
10:48And we took this big risk
10:51to cast her,
10:53share her with this other show,
10:55and we'll see who wins.
10:56And we even shot
10:57not only the pilot,
10:59but probably three episodes
11:00of Friends
11:02while that show
11:03was still on television.
11:05And if it had,
11:06if CBS had picked it up,
11:08we would have had to reshoot
11:10the first three episodes.
11:11They easily could have
11:12just gone with
11:13Tiffany Thiessen,
11:14Jane Krakowski,
11:15or reportedly
11:16their first choice,
11:17Taylor Leone instead.
11:18But Aniston just had
11:19everything they knew
11:20they wanted.
11:21Jennifer had this
11:22warmth and sincerity
11:25and genuineness about her
11:26where she just
11:28made you feel okay
11:30about everything else
11:31that Rachel was
11:32that you might have
11:32passed judgment on.
11:33NBC was also
11:34a bit sneaky,
11:36deciding this was the time
11:37to strategically release
11:38some previously unseen
11:40TV adaptations
11:41of Danielle Steele novels
11:42in an attempt
11:43to tank the competition.
11:44How did you convince
11:45Les to let go of her?
11:46It was a bad show.
11:48Muddling through
11:48was a bad show?
11:49It was a really bad show.
11:50They put it on.
11:52We scheduled against it.
11:53The actress also
11:54took a big swing,
11:55asking to be released
11:56from her first contract,
11:58with one producer
11:59warning her friends
12:00wouldn't do anything
12:01for her career.
12:02He goes,
12:02I saw that show.
12:05I'm going to tell you something.
12:06That show's not
12:07going to make you a star.
12:09This show is going
12:10to make you a star.
12:13And enough said.
12:14Not only did she go
12:15from audition to casting
12:16in basically a day,
12:18but it's not like
12:18she's been muddling
12:19through since.
12:20So who's laughing now?
12:21Good for me.
12:23Turns out Burroughs
12:24was right.
12:25The cast went from
12:25mostly unknown actors
12:27to household names
12:28almost overnight.
12:29Courtney Cox
12:30called the experience
12:31quote,
12:31lightning in a bottle.
12:33And from day one on set,
12:34she knew they had
12:35something special.
12:36And of course,
12:36she wasn't the only one.
12:38I don't think
12:38any of our lives
12:39are ever going to be
12:40the same ever again.
12:41They weren't just
12:42close on camera,
12:43which probably explains
12:45why their friendship
12:45felt so real.
12:47Cox,
12:47who'd guest starred
12:48on Seinfeld,
12:49had seen how supportive
12:50that cast was
12:51with each other
12:51and encouraged
12:52her new co-stars
12:53to follow their example
12:54and work as a real ensemble.
12:56And clearly it worked.
12:57That was also
12:58because Courtney
12:59started off saying,
13:01listen,
13:01y'all,
13:01I was on Seinfeld
13:02and they all help each other.
13:04So just let's help each other.
13:05What made their rise
13:06feel so novel
13:07was that they got
13:08famous together.
13:09There wasn't one
13:10outlier breakout star.
13:12They all rose
13:12at the same time.
13:14And it wasn't
13:14just a creative choice.
13:16It was a professional one too.
13:17What's more important,
13:19your friends or money?
13:20Friends.
13:21Money.
13:21They famously negotiated
13:23their contracts
13:23as a group,
13:25making sure everyone
13:25earned the same
13:26and eventually pulling in
13:27$1 million each
13:29by the final season.
13:30That egalitarian sensibility
13:33that David Schwimmer
13:34asked them to embrace,
13:36it ended up working
13:38powerfully on their behalf
13:39as they renegotiated
13:41contract after contract.
13:42Their fame went beyond TV.
13:44The hairstyles,
13:45the fashion,
13:46the catchphrases
13:47all became part of pop culture.
13:49Hey,
13:50how you doing?
13:52For 10 seasons,
13:53they were a friendly face,
13:54a familiar one.
13:56The ones who saw us
13:56through those growing pains
13:58where it often felt
13:58like it wasn't your day,
13:59your week,
14:00your month,
14:00or even your year.
14:02Over the decade,
14:03their faces were
14:04on magazine covers,
14:05talk shows,
14:06billboards,
14:07you name it.
14:07They were there.
14:08They're on the cover
14:09of Rolling Stone.
14:10Rolling Stone.
14:11I mean,
14:12we're a TV show.
14:14They've somehow
14:15entered the zeitgeist.
14:16I don't know
14:17when that happened.
14:19Between them,
14:20they racked up
14:20256 award nominations
14:22and 65 wins.
14:24The finale was
14:25practically a cultural event,
14:27pulling in
14:2752.5 million viewers.
14:29Beating Seinfeld's
14:30record-making moment.
14:32And it was a happy place,
14:34filled with love
14:35and laughter.
14:38But more important,
14:39because of rent control,
14:40it was a friggin' steal.
14:41But more than anything,
14:43fans felt like
14:43they'd made
14:44six new friends.
14:45Friends who didn't
14:45just stick with them
14:46for 10 seasons,
14:47but who would always
14:48be there for us
14:49when we needed them.
14:50I'll be there for you.
14:53I'll be there for you.
14:55Now that we've revisited
15:00their incredible journey,
15:02what's your favorite part
15:03of the Friends story?
15:04Let us know
15:04in the comments.
15:05This is a big break for me.
15:07Oh, you're right.
15:08You're right, it is.
15:09All right.
15:18You're right,
15:21you're right.
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